Outdoor Fests in the Waning Summer
By Claudia Taller
If you missed the Asian Festival, Feast of the Assumption, and Irish Festival this summer, don’t despair, Cleveland’s keeping them coming. It’s amazing what Cleveland’s done with summertime downtown—food trucks (like Walnut Wednesdays), farmer’s markets (Public Square Fridays through October and CSU Thursdays through mid-November), yoga celebrations, and music all over the place have re-energized the city like never before. We love outside events in our great open spaces.
Anchors & Ales
Fri 8/22, Sat 8/23 + Sat 9/13 @ 5-8pm
Sun 9/14 @ 10am – 1pm
Start off this weekend at Anchors & Ales at North Coast Harbor. If you haven’t had a chance to get to what used to be called the E. 9th Street Pier and Voinovich Park lately, this is your chance for a harbor happy hour while you check out the new Transient Marina. While not exactly a food festival, you can enjoy food and ales while listening to music and catching the sunset.
Cleveland Labor Day Oktoberfest
Fri 8/29 4pm – midnight
Sat 8/30 + Sun 8/31 @ noon-midnight
Mon 9/1 12-8pm
The Cleveland Labor Day Oktoberfest at the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds continues the festival season. The Bavarian-themed cultural festival entertains with food, beer, bands and entertainment like the on-hour performance surrounding Das Glockenspiel. Don’t know what that is? During Das Glockenspiel, gather around the music, smoke, and flashing lights of a simulated live cuckoo clock when the Schuhplattlers emerge in costume and throw out a hail of souvenirs to the crowd. You’ll find plenty of sausage, celebrated by the Wiener Dog Races.
This year, Paulaner brewery, founded in 1634, and historic Hacker-Pschorr have partnered with the festival to bring German-style beers like Marzen and Wiesn from Germany to Cleveland. Bands will pay tribute to the Bee Gees and Eagles. Free parking for four days of festival.
Crocker Park Wine Festival
Fri 9/12 @ 4-10pm
Sat 9/13 @ 2-10pm
Vintage Ohio’s come and gone, but the 4th Annual Crocker Park Wine Festival is coming up Fri 9/12 from 4-10PM and Sat 9/13 from 2-10 at Crocker Park in Westlake. This totally fun event showcases over 150 wines from local, national and international producers as well as select craft beers and spirits. Enjoy the music of Monica Robins & The Whiskey Kings and Funkology, food from Manny’s Mac & Cue, educational seminars, and create a masterpiece with Wine and Canvas. Tickets are $22 in advance and $27 at the door and include 10 tastings and a souvenir wine glass.
Cleveland One World Festival
Sat 9/13 @ 1-9pm + Sun 9/14 @ 1 – 7pm
Set yourself up for a festival weekend by going to the first annual Cleveland One World Festival at Rockefeller Park the same weekend as the Crocker Park Wine Festival. The One World Festival brings the Cleveland Cultural Gardens alive with food representing the ethnic groups that make Cleveland a melting-pot microcosm. The free international festival features art, musical and theatrical performances along the 3-mile long parkway named after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Tremont Arts and Cultural Festival
Sat 9/20 @ 11AM- 6PM + Sun 9/21 @ 12- 5PM
Tremont Arts and Cultural Festival with diverse ethnic food from churches, civic groups, and restaurants, as well as children’s hands-on and educational projects, booths with information on community-area nonprofits, and music and theatrical performances returns on Sat 9/20 from 11AM- 6PM and Sun 9/21 from 12- 5PM, at Lincoln Park – 1208 Starkweather Avenue in historic Tremont. And of course, there will be art for sale: photography, ceramics, jewelry, paintings, and mixed media pieces created by local artists.
If you haven’t been getting out of your office or trekked downtown for the weekend, you’ll want do it before the oncoming winter months keep us inside. Don’t you think you should go to a festival?
Claudia Taller is the author of Ohio’s Lake Erie Wineries and has been a Cool Cleveland contributor for many years. She helps writers and other creative people discover possibilities for their lives through Igniting Possibilities events. She has written articles for numerous publications over the last decade and can be found at http://claudiajtaller.com